


Joyride

by rancheel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Doctor Who References, Dogs, Domestic, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Grocery Shopping, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), References to Shakespeare, Shakespeare Quotations, Subways, no y/n
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24521914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rancheel/pseuds/rancheel
Summary: You're heading back to your apartment after a game night at a friend's place when you encounter Loki for the first time since his invasion in 2012.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel) & Original Female Character(s), Loki (Marvel) & Reader, Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

You saw him on the A Train. You noticed his lithe form when you took a minute to glance up from your book.

Him as in the one who took New York in his clutches momentarily back in 2012 while you were in the middle of a shift at the coffee shop you used to work at that was just near the main spot of action. Loki. 

It was only the two of you on this train at this time of night. You were heading back home to your apartment where your dog would most likely be sleeping on her assigned side of the bed, passed out after trying to wait up for you. Your friends hosted a game night and insisted you had come. 

And you kicked ass in Scrabble, Life—Spongebob Edition, you remembered picking Squidward as your token to play the game—and even Cluedo.

And you _never_ won Cluedo. 

You were proud of yourself. Three wins on one game night is better than nothing. Usually, you’re a sore loser every time you’re invited over. **  
**

It seemed like everything was going your way tonight. 

Until you caught Loki studying the cover of your book as you read. 

After you finished your last book on the train on the way to work, you decided to shove your worn copy of Coriolanus in place and never bothered to take it out. So naturally, that was your reading material of choice tonight as you waited for the final stop. 

“May I help you?” You questioned, glancing up at the God that sat across from you. When he didn’t reply, you tried to direct your attention back to the book pages, rereading the huge section you had just skipped over 

You heard him shift, which made you look up at him again. However this time, you maintained eye contact. 

What do you say when a murderer is looking at your book late at night on your train back home? You didn’t want to end up dead by the end of this interaction. You had a life to carry on with. Manuscripts to finish, your dog to take care of, your parents to mildly ignore when they tell you how you should be living. 

Not dead on the A Train after being slain by Loki, the God of Mischief. **  
**

He seemed like he was in a trance when he apologized quietly.

That was... odd. 

“I.. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but notice the author’s name on the cover of your book,” he spoke up, finally leaning back on the seat as the train started to go in the direction of the third to last stop for the night. “Shakespeare, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Yes,” you said hesitantly, fighting the urge to look at the cover yourself to make sure that it was Shakespeare, even though you knew exactly what it was. “Another tragedy.”

“May I ask which? The title seems to be scratched off.”

You could feel your face heating up at his words. He noticed that? Now that you thought about it, it made sense that he was staring so long for the title.

“It’s uh, Coriolanus. Roman soldiers and stuff. Right up your alley if you think about it,” you said, your eyes darting back to the pages you were permanently stuck on. You didn’t want to see his reaction when he figured out you knew him. **  
**

Loki seemed stunned at your reply for assuming such. It’s not like you had been wrong. You did some research on Asgard a while after 2012 and learned a thing or two about their politics. 

Quite Roman-esque in your unprofessional opinion. 

He seemed to mull it over for a moment before letting a chuckle out. “It appears you may be right, darling.”

 _Darling_. 

That made chills run up your spine. Not... not in a bad way, though. You wouldn’t mind him calling you that again, as a matter of fact.

The conversation was cut by the screeching breaks of the train. You both braced yourselves in your seats so you didn’t slide with gravity as the train finally got to a stop, reaching the third to last station. 

The doors opened for no one, and waited. 

There was some sort of silence you couldn’t decipher as the doors waited for no one to arrive. You turned the page to your book, pretending to be reading. Your mind was still replaying the words Loki said. 

Mainly darling, but that's besides the point. 

Eventually, the doors closed and the train was back to moving. Loki was back to looking at your book cover, and you actually got pulled back into the script.

Until you were interrupted again. **  
**

“Why is your copy in such poor quality?”

Loki’s voice was like velvet as he started to take interest in you again. 

“I’ve had it for a long, long time.”

That answer seemed enough for him. You started to reread a line of Volumnia’s when he continued speaking. 

“Could you tell me more about it?”

You wanted to hold yourself back, you really did. Maybe he had some kind of motive to do something bad? You don’t know if he’s turned good. He could still be the same man he was in 2012. Regardless of your thoughts running wild, you awkwardly scooted a bit subconsciously to make more room for Loki to sit next to you. That’s when you knew it was game over. 

You told him about the plot in deep, deep detail. You spoke about each character as if you had written this play yourself. It was, after all, one of your favorites that you’ve been reading since your senior year of high school. **  
**

Loki sat and listened intently, drinking in your unabashed excitement as you recounted everything that happens in this play; it was as if you had actually been in Rome when the play was set. 

He found it endearing. Most mortals were not passionate like you were about literature—or anything period. But, on the other hand, Loki hadn’t talked to many mortals since his deal with the Avengers granted him his freedom. 

Another thing he found interesting, he could listen to you talk about Shakespeare for hours. 

Loki had only read some of the cliché plays that were written. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night. They all grasped his attention and he read them thoroughly when he had the time. But there seemed that in this moment, there was nothing quite like Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.

The train ride was less excruciating once you were talking. You found that Loki was actually well educated and not as much of an asshole as he seemed. Loki found you even more attractive than he had when he stepped into the train car. 

You were in the middle of passionately explaining Volumnia’s relationship with her son when the train came to a stop again, announcing the last stop. 

Neither you or Loki wanted this to end. 

“I—I’d love to keep going,” you started, suddenly realizing you spent so much time speaking, “but this is my stop.”

The usual dialogue came from the speakers as the doors wheezed open. Loki stood up from his seat with you as you gathered your things, your book in hand. 

“I fear this may be too forward,” he started, suddenly feeling nervous. “But may I walk you home?”

Never in your years of living did you expect to be asked by the man who took New York in his clutches to be walked home in the dead of night.

And never did you think you’d say yes. 

The two of you fell in step as you walked out of the subway car, silent as you took in the emptiness of the subway station. 

It was peaceful. A small part of the city that somewhat slept. You realized that you were less tense than when you started this journey, and smiled small as both you and Loki took the steps two at a time to reach the surface. 

Both of you made it onto the sidewalk before you realized something.

“You know,” you started carefully once your bag was secured on your back, “you don’t need to walk me back. I’m sure you have a curfew or... or something—“

“Darling, I assure you, I’m not needed back at the tower.” Loki gripped your hand gently to pull you to a full stop on the sidewalk now. “I’d much rather hear your passion for this work than hear my brother drone on about his lover.”

For some reason, that confession combined with his touch made your breath hitch. His hand felt as if it wasn’t warm, but not cold either. It was like the perfect temperature. 

Suddenly your mind wondered what it would feel like to be held in his arms. You were quick to wipe away that thought by blinking up at Loki, furrowing your brows together. 

“Are you sure? Sounds much more invigorating, hearing about someone’s dating life rather than being told about a Roman soldier in depth.”

“I am positive,” Loki chuckled in reply. “Your knowledge on this play is far better than any mortal’s. Almost as if you had studied with the Bard himself.”

You felt your face heat up from the compliment, and decided to keep your hand locked in his as you started to walk down the sidewalk again. 

“Flattering gets you nowhere, Loki.”

“I’m merely speaking the truth!” His voice sounded like he was accused of something like a child. This made you laugh. You just shook your head to dismiss the subject 

“So, back to Volumnia and how she’d rather her son die in battle than live a life of shame?”

“Please. I’m all ears.”

The walk back to your apartment was quicker than you expected as you broke down the rest of the play. And for once, you didn’t want to sleep. You wanted to stay up and keep talking to Loki. You didn’t care about the time or the place, you wanted to keep talking. 

Even if you’ve exhausted your extensive knowledge on this play. 

You and Loki stood in front of your apartment building, laughing at a small joke you had made about Caius Marcius yearning to fight Aufidius during an important meeting. **  
**

The blanket of silence between you two was comfortable. You noticed Loki’s gaze seemed soft. Almost... loving. You tried to ignore it, but he seemed so smitten in this moment. The moonlight hit his face just right which made you swoon internally when you saw just how handsome he could be in the different lighting of the night.

“I really should get going,” you sighed, letting the heel of your hand gently rub at your eye. “I’ve got work tomorrow.”

Loki shifted his weight on his feet, seeming just as dejected as you. It was nice knowing you both didn’t want this night to end. 

“I’d like to see you again, if that—“

“Yes,” you cut him off instantly, looking up into his eyes. It was like a trance. You admittedly loved every second of it. 

He chuckled at your sudden response. Minutes, maybe even hours ago, you two had wanted nothing to do with each other. **  
**

And yet here you both stood, smitten in conversation, dancing around the harsh reality that you’d have to carry on with your lives after you stopped talking. 

You licked your dry lips slowly, a smile settling across your features before repeating yourself again. “Yes please.”

Loki smiled back at you before nodding. Neither of you knew what to do from here. It seemed as though goodbyes weren’t your forte. 

You fumbled for a moment, almost as if you were getting your keys from your bag.

Which you were doing, Loki realized. Getting your keys. And a pen, it seemed. You were quick to bite the plastic cap off before opening to the first page in your copy of Coriolanus and writing. 

Loki tried to see what you had written, but you were far too fast. By the time he tried to get a closer look, you were done writing and capped the pen before closing the book and passing it over to him.

“A reason to see me again.” 

You sounded breathless, as if you had just ran into him on the street and dropped everything onto the ground. Loki felt his heart speed up momentarily before taking the book carefully. **  
**

“I already had a reason, darling.” Loki’s smile knocked the breath right out of you before he stepped a little closer to get in your personal space, reaching for one of your hands. You weren’t sure as to what he was doing until his long, gentle fingers were grabbing your own and lifted it up to press a kiss to your knuckles. 

You were blushing. You were certain of it. 

You said your final goodnights for the night, Loki patiently waiting until you were in the lobby of the building to actually take his leave with your book.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your day starts out nice, the remnants of your time with Loki still fresh in your mind before it quickly takes a turn for the worst. Thankfully, you run into Loki on the train again.

“I can’t _believe_ I gave him my number,” you spoke aloud to your dog as you trudged into the kitchen the following morning. “What was I thinking, Ophelia? Does he even _have_ a phone?”

Ophelia, your pride and joy who happily walked behind you, let out a small huff as if it were a response you could understand.

“You’re right,” you replied. “I’m thinking too much about it. Sit, please.”

She happily obeyed, sitting in front of the small mat her bowls were set on as she watched you get her breakfast ready once you grabbed her little bowl you designated for food. You were quick to pour the dry food in, humming quietly to yourself before placing the bowl back down on the mat. Ophelia tried to stay seated from the arrival of food.

“Alright, have at it.” You couldn’t hide your laughter from your dog's excitement as she was quick to lunge snout first into the bowl. You were careful to reach around her medium-sized body for the empty water bowl you should have filled last night after you came up from the lobby.

After talking with Loki.

“God, stop thinking about him for _five seconds_ ,” you uttered to yourself, irritated you couldn’t seem to shake the events from last night. You were quick to rinse the bowl out to be sure that there wasn’t any hair in it before filling it back up.

“Okay, I think you’re all set for the day, Oph. When I get back maybe we could visit the park?” You tried to focus on not spilling the water all over you and the floor.

Thankfully, you succeeded and got the bowl onto the mat. You let both of your empty hands rub on her sides as she munched on her breakfast, making cooing noises before laughing at how ridiculous you sounded. If Loki could only see you now—

You stood up straight and let out a huff, marching to the fridge. _So much for forgetting about him,_ your brain chimed in.

You opened your fridge carefully and observed what you had in stock for breakfast.

But you had nothing. Literally, nothing. Unless you counted some milk and probably rancid leftovers in the far back. You were due for a shopping day, but you just didn’t feel up to it as of late, thanks to the weather starting to climb in temperature.

“I guess I’ll stop by Starbucks before going in then,” you agreed aloud before feeling Ophelia brush against your ankles. It was almost as if she was judging you for how empty you kept your fridge, yet her food bowl was so full every day for breakfast and dinner.

“I know, I know. Maybe we can go shopping later?” You suggested, gently nudging her back to close the fridge before giving one more pet. “I’ve gotta get ready now. I’ll be sure to kiss you goodbye.”

Getting ready for your 9 to 5 at the Bulletin was quick and easy, since you had taken the liberty of getting the clothes you wanted to wear out somewhere close prior to falling into your bed with a stupid grin on your face.

You have no clue if you’ll get through the work day if your mind keeps bringing you back to Loki. You really don’t. Whether you’re reminded of his laughter, his smile, or the shirt he wore and how it clung perfectly to his upper body—

“I need help. I’m sick, and really need to get help,” you admitted aloud stressfully, tugging off your shirt you went to bed in to hunt for a bra to wear properly with the shirt you wanted to wear to work. “Just _ignore_ it. He’s just another Shakespeare enthusiast.”

 _Yeah, a hot Shakespeare enthusiast from fucking Asgard!_ Your inner monologue didn’t hesitate to exclaim you as you got to work on actually getting dressed.

Eventually, you had your things together and gave Ophelia a kiss goodbye as promised as well as a few additional pats. Then, you were heading out the door with a more professional looking bag on your shoulder, determined to get to the subway quick enough to stop by Starbucks before you got in.

But your luck ran out the second you pushed your way into the crowded car. You barely had time to even get up to the offices when you had gotten to the building the Bulletin was located in. And on the subway you realized you left your phone somewhere back at the apartment.

It wasn’t going to be your day, and you knew it wouldn’t by how it started.

Work felt like it was longer than usual thanks to your bad start, but lunch did make your day slightly better when you went out with a few coworkers to a local cafe that had amazing sandwiches.

After lunch, Ellison had really dug into you to get your drafts for the next edition of the papers that were getting printed next week. Usually, you wouldn’t be too scared of your supervisor, but the tone he had with you made your anxiety flare up substantially. 

You practically holed yourself up at your desk, trying to finish off most of your drafts for the day. Some of the words came easy, but others took forever to sprout from your mind. Thankfully, you had gotten three of the five done by the time you were close to being done with the work day and asked Karen, a coworker, to review and give you some edits tomorrow if at all possible. 

Part of you fancied the idea of taking work home with you. You considered that it would be a bad idea to bring the last two drafts home to finish off and edit yourself, but you wanted it done. You never wanted to claw your way to Ellison’s bad side, even if he had invited you to that one dinner party with his wife all those months ago.

Better to be safe than sorry.

You were quick to shove a flash drive into the port of the computer and transferred copies of the files you were working on before calling it a day in the office and clocking out. You checked in with Karen one last time to be sure she’d look over your things and give them back, and gladly made your way to the elevator. 

The music inside the metal box made you even more irritated when you heard the subtle ding of each floor pass. You just wanted to get out of this elevator, and get home. Get home to Ophelia, give her some love before deciding to make a trip to a store for something to eat. Oh, and to check your phone.

It amused you that this morning you could only think about Loki and the conversation you two had last night, but now? Now you had it shoved into the back of your mind. Far, far away from the forefront only to be replaced with your misfortune from the day.

You let out a harsh sigh and pinched the bridge of your nose just before the elevator opened to the main lobby of the building. Quickly, you navigate your way out from the semi-crowded lobby and back onto the sidewalks of New York, one hand gripping tightly on the strap of your messenger bag while the other hung close to your side. Your hand was closed in a fist from the tension that was starting to settle uncomfortably under your skin as you left the building. 

Momentarily while you waited at a crosswalk, you debated on just taking a taxi back home. It'd be quicker. Easier. You'd be back by 6 easy and you would finally get to hug Ophelia so your mood would be better before going about the rest of the evening.

But it would be a waste of your MetroCard money. And you couldn't really get that back.

Heaving a sigh, you started to walk across the street with the rest of the people at the crosswalk, heading towards the closest station in mind.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, you were back on the train after 8 hours of work. It wasn't as crowded, which pissed you off even more, but you were thankful that there was some space where you didn't have to stand and hold onto the bars. Maybe at this rate you'd get home with enough time to grab some groceries. Maybe.

You found yourself staring at the seam of your bag that you held in your lap. You even occasionally picked at your nails. That habit of biting them had thankfully grown out of you once you graduated college, but you still felt the urge to pick every now and again when your anxiety and anger flared up. So maybe you hadn't _really_ grown out of the habit.

It took two stops to get the seat next to you free. You realized it after the train jolted you out of your thoughts. And a few minutes later after the doors shut to stop people from pouring into the subway car, you heard a voice take you by surprise.

"Pardon me, could I sit here?"

You snapped your head up from your bag only to come face to face with Loki. Whatever look you had on your face washed away quickly with a shocked smile before you nodded. "Yes. You certainly can."

Loki seemed pleasantly surprised to see you on the train just as much as you were to see him. He said your name softly and you couldn't hide your widening smile from how lovely it sounded coming from his lips. How had you gone this long without hearing your name on his tongue?

 _You didn't trust him a mere 12 hours ago, remember,_ your brain chimed in. _You never thought to give your name until you defiled the front page of your Coriolanus copy in pen._

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Loki asked as he easily folded into the empty spot next to you. Your leg knocked against his gently as you shifted to talk directly his way instead of turning your head.

“I was just coming back from work,” you explained. You were a little taken back by the question, never really hearing that specific phrase in everyday conversations.

You were, afterall, conversing with a God from Asgard. You shouldn’t expect regular sentences with him.

“And yourself?” You questioned back quickly, trying to keep the conversation going. The next stop was yours, and you wanted this to last as long as it could before you’re home.

Loki let out a soft chuckle, like he did last night when you answered him with a quick yes. You almost didn’t notice how some of his laughter shook with nervousness. “I was going to drop something off at your apartment. I had messaged you—”

“Oh god,” you said suddenly, guilt washing over you like a huge tidal wave, “I’m so sorry, Loki. I... I forgot my phone back home this morning. Ophelia made me a little late.”

“You’re fine, darling,” Loki reassured gently, placing a hand on your knee as you tried to stop rambling due to your guilt. Your gaze went down to look at his hand as he cleared his throat gently. “Though I must ask, Ophelia? As in the daughter of Polonius, Ophelia?”

You resisted the urge to put your hand over his and let your eyes snap back up to his with a smile.

“Kind of? Ophelia’s my dog. I named her after The Lumineers song when I got her a while back. But, yes. Also like the noblewoman in Hamlet.”

“What breed is she?” 

“A Cardigan Welsh Corgi,” you replied, letting out a fond sigh as you finally let your hand pat Loki’s. “She’s the sweetest.”

You could feel Loki tense up for a moment from your sudden touch, and you wanted to ask why he had done so. But it was then the train was coming to a stop, the name of the station ringing out in the subway car.

Much to both your and Loki’s dismay, you were quick to stand as the doors to the subway car opened to let people file out and in.

“Uh,” you started quickly, being sure to tug your messenger bag on your shoulder instead of holding it in your hands, “if you’d still like to come by, you could walk me home? And meet Ophelia, o-of course—”

“Yes,” Loki said, cutting you off instantly as he stood up next to you quickly, holding his hand out. “Please.”

You didn’t want to take the time to think how he was quick to agree just like you did last night as you took his hand in yours, swiftly guiding the both of you out of the car and into the platform of the station just in time before the doors closed.

The both of you were silent until you reached the surface of New York again, still hand in hand as you both integrated into the traffic on the sidewalk full of people. You took a moment to take in the feeling of Loki’s hand again.

It felt just as it did last night, and it made you only tighten your grip on his hand a little more. You hoped that he thought it was just a precaution as to not lose him in the crowd of people.

“So,” you started once the crowd thinned out and you could properly hear your own thoughts. “What were you going to drop off?”

“Hm?” Loki hummed as you turned your head to catch him looking at you already. “Oh. Um, your copy of Coriolanus.”

“Really?” You inquired, scrunching your face up slightly as the sun started to come into your line of sight. You wanted to keep your eyes on Loki but the sun was too much for your eyes so you turned your head forwards.

“Yes. I finished it earlier this afternoon.”

“That was fast,” you teased, coming to a stop at a crosswalk and absentmindedly swinging your intertwined hands between each other. “Did you like it?”

Loki nodded and took a breath in before exhaling, his eyes finally leaving your face as his free hand slid into his pants pocket. “I did. However, I rathered your version of it. That, and the notes in the margins were far more fascinating than the original text since they were written in what I assume to be glitter pen.”

You felt your face heating up in that moment from the compliment _and_ the fact he pointed out the glitter pen (hell, you forgot you even _wrote_ with those all through your senior year). Loki however kept talking. “But the words on the page seemed plain compared to your retelling from last night, in simpler terms.”

Loki's words seemed to knock the breath right out of you. You'd never understand why he liked your oversharing of Coriolanus. Perhaps he was one to read and act Shakespeare aloud rather than sit in silence to read and comprehend everything a little better, just like yourself. You started to walk with the small group of people you were a part of when you heard others starting to walk, the red hand signal on the crosswalk changing into a white figure to signal walking.

"I'm.. I'm really glad you liked it," you finally said after trying to work out what to properly say. It sounded like you were shocked. And to be frank, you were. 

Loki let out a chuckle at your reply. He seemed bashful as well, holding onto your hand tightly as you continued guiding him through the small crowds to get to your apartment building.

After that, you talked about the material. You asked Loki if he had any questions on Coriolanus—which honestly after asking, seemed stupid. He understood all of it. From Volumnia's motivations all the way to Aufidius'. He even sounded much like you did last night as he dug a little bit into Caius Martius and his actions. He even recalled what you said crystal clear as he repeated what you said to build off of that idea now that he was more educated on it.

Eventually, you and Loki were enthusiastically talking about Martius and Aufidius' fight in the first act and how it could possibly be staged.

Most people you were around as you kept walking towards your apartment building definitely gave you weird looks as you explained some of the blocking of what you think the fight scene could look like. You both ignored it in favor of conversation and occasional movement to drive a point home. 

At some point, Loki had mentioned some of his training after he made a comment on one of your ideas being fairly realistic. You asked for him to carry on as he brushed off what he said.

To your surprise and contentment, he actually started to talk about it more as you neared your building.

"Back on Asgard," he started as he was quick to be a few steps ahead of you to open the door that led to the lobby of your apartment complex, "we would train with what were considered the best warriors in the Nine Realms. Varying from hand-to-hand combat to broadsword fighting."

"That sounds _terrifying_ ," you commented, quickly moving through the open door with a quick thanks as Loki laughed at your words.

"At first, yes. Once you were accustomed to the routine, not so much."

"Jesus," you muttered quietly, leading Loki gently to the elevator, pressing the button twice before turning to look at him. "How old were you when you started the training?"

Loki in turn, pursed his lips as he thought. His head tilted to the side as if he were trying to map out what he was thinking for you. "The Midgardian equivalent of ten years old—"

"Ten years old?" You gaped. Loki made eye contact with you and nodded.

"Yes, darling." He looked like he was amused by your response to his answer. You were about to speak up again as the elevator you hailed finally opened which promptly caused you to pull Loki inside by his hand. "I assure you, Asgardians are extremely durable."

"Sounds like it," you muttered in playful annoyance before pressing the button to your floor and the close doors button. "So you learned how to parry and stuff like that?"

Loki nodded with a hum of confirmation. "I did. However, I much rather prefer close range combat. I'm sure you're aware of that."

You couldn't hold back the snort you had in reply, nodding as the elevator doors shut and started to hum to life, taking the two of you up from the ground floor. The silence between the two of you was comfortable as you occasionally shifted on your feet, feeling excited not only to see your dog, but to change out of your work clothes. It was also in this moment you remembered you were still holding Loki's hand.

You had the whole way here, and he hadn't said anything about it. 

"Did you, uh.." You trailed off before gently wiggling your fingers against the back of his hand. "Did you want me to let go or anything?"

Loki seemed confused at the question before looking down at your intertwined hands. He squeezed your hand in that moment before shaking his head. You smiled shyly and nodded as the elevator door opened at your floor.

Now normally, if you brought someone back to your apartment, you'd be in panic mode. But, considering you haven't really _lived_ in your apartment for the past few hours, having been at a friend's and working right after waking up, your space was relatively clean.

Unless Ophelia was sensing you were bringing someone and decided to try and shed even more than she usually did.

"So, I'm going to apologize in advance for Ophelia," you started easily as your free hand to dig around in your messenger bag for your keys. "She sheds. A lot. So I'm sorry if your jeans get covered in her hair once you sit on my couch. I haven't gotten around to cleaning this week yet."

You and Loki both chuckled at your choice of words as you made it to your door. For a moment, you thought about trying to unlock your door with one hand, but you knew that you'd have to use your other hand that Loki was holding to hold the knob in place as you put the key in the keyhole.

"Could I have my hand back for a moment?" You questioned gently, looking at Loki over your shoulder.

Loki was quick to let go of the appendage in question with a soft apology. 

You admonished him gently, explaining that the doorknob needed two hands in order to properly unlock. You’d continue holding his hand if your lock allowed it. 

Loki laughed at your choice of words. You found yourself swooning again from the deep, lovely sound. Maybe you’d playfully ask for a recording of his laugh to play forever. _No!_ Your brain shouted. _That’s weird, stop it!_

In a quick flick of your wrist the knob was unlocked and the door was easily opened by the tip of your dress shoes, any extra tension that wasn’t taken away by your conversation with Loki easily slid off of you in that moment.

You turned to step over the threshold with a grin, gesturing into your apartment’s living room with the hand that held your keys.

“Come in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself not to post this at 3 in the morning, but I'm far too excited to get this out. I'm sorry this took so long! My plans are to make this 4 chapters long in its entirety, so hopefully that makes up for the wait time. 
> 
> Anyways, Loki gets to meet Ophelia next chapter! So yay for Loki and dog content!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki meets Ophelia and you decide to invite him on your shopping run on an impulse to keep the conversation going.

Once both you and Loki were in the confines of your apartment, your eyes immediately fell onto the couch to find Ophelia relaxing with her eyes shut. You assumed she was napping as you took your messenger bag off and placed it near the small hall table you kept near the door before tossing your keys on the empty corner of the somewhat messy, but organized tabletop. 

“Well, uh,” you started, “make yourself at home, if you’d like. You can just set the book on the coffee table. I can put it away later.”

Loki nodded, but kept his eyes locked on Ophelia. 

You noticed as you were toeing off your shoes and tilted your head. “Is something wrong? Are you allergic?”

“No, no,” Loki answered quickly, snapping out of whatever reverie he was in, slipping a hand out of his pocket that held your copy of Coriolanus. “Nothing is wrong, darling.”

“You look scared of her,” you replied gently, padding over to where Loki stood to place a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

At this point, Ophelia perked her head up at the sound of your voice. Loki turned his head towards you with a scoff. 

“I am not scared of a dog, I assure you.”

Everything about Loki’s body language to you said otherwise. You let out a soft sigh and plucked your book from his hands, tossing it onto the wood of the coffee table. You were quick to stand in front of him, holding your hand out and wiggling your fingers invitingly much like earlier.

“Would you like me to introduce you two?”

Loki’s gaze went from your face to your hand, then back to the kind, non-playful look on your face. He sighed quietly and placed his hand in yours, still seeming a bit tense. 

Carefully you guided him to the couch as Ophelia watched, her pink tongue poking out as she started to pant with excitement after being home alone for the day. Even her fluffy ash gray tail was even starting to wag against the cushions. 

You let Loki sit the farthest away from Ophelia, knowing she could be ready to launch over him if you were in his spot.

There were times after work where Ophelia would want to snuggle, as weird as it sounded. But your little Ophelia just wanted to sit in your lap and give you company. Maybe even a few kisses if you let her sneak some in, which you always did. But there were other times where Ophelia would be a little ball of energy and jump on anything. Just like your parents dogs back home, demanding pets and play time. 

You just didn’t know which she was feeling today and tried to anticipate her next move.

For today, the second you sat on the couch—Loki still holding your hand, you realized—Ophelia waited patiently for you to shift around to get comfortable before climbing into your lap. 

At least she wouldn’t be too wild to scare off Loki. You don’t know if you’d forgive her for that.

You smiled down at her, letting your free hand smooth over her fur before pressing a kiss between her ears. “Hello there, babygirl.”

Your face scrunched up when her tongue darted out to try and lick at your face, but you were quick to lean back so she’d lick under your chin. In your peripherals, you could see Loki trying to fight a smile as you laughed.

“This,” you started gently as you addressed Ophelia, “is my friend Loki.”

Her little head turned to look at him then. It was almost as if she was smiling as her tail kept wagging.

Loki half expected her to start growling like all the other dogs he met did, but she didn’t.

You gently nudged Loki when the squeeze to his hand wasn’t enough, nodding down at your dog when he looked at you almost helplessly. You wanted to coo by how surprised he looked at her, his large hand carefully moving from his side to hold in front of Ophelia’s snout before she was giving one of his fingers a little lick.

Loki was surely taken with her from that point on.

He pet her carefully, still seemingly terrified that Ophelia would attack, but he allowed himself to pet her and even call her name a few times. And to Ophelia’s delight, she inched closer to Loki’s lap from the attention.

“Would you mind if she sat in your lap?” You asked kindly, trying to shield her from jumping over your arm. “If not, she’ll understand. She knows she sheds.”

Loki snapped his head up from Ophelia to look at you almost as if he was a child who was caught stealing from the cookie jar. “If.. If you wouldn’t mind?”

You grinned and carefully let go of Loki’s hand. Ophelia was excited to be in Loki’s lap, almost lunging into his legs all on her own, but you were quick to catch her with your hands carefully before lifting her up and placing her into Loki’s lap. Ophelia looked up at Loki expectantly now, waiting for the attention again.

You knew this move. She would shift around on his lap here soon to paw at his hand if she didn’t get what she wanted.

But thankfully, Loki was quick to get back to petting Ophelia before she could even make that move. He seemed more comfortable petting her while she was in his lap, which caused him to start talking to her lightly as if she were human. It kind of made you wonder if he could hear her or something.

If only 2012 you could see what’s happening right now. She’d go ballistic.

Ophelia was nuzzling Loki’s hand as he chuckled at her display of enjoyment. “She’s very dramatic.”

“Yeah, but I love her anyway,” you replied fondly, letting your hand scratch at her side momentarily before shifting on the couch to get ready to stand. “But, uh.. We were going to go to the store once I got home, if you’d.. Like to tag along?”

Loki took his gaze away from Ophelia in that moment to look at you. His hands were still providing Ophelia contentment as he processed what you said for a moment.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude—”

“You wouldn’t be, really,” you insisted gently. “It’d be nice to actually have someone to reply to me when I talk. Ophelia lacks in that department.” 

The two of you shared a laugh, looking down at Ophelia in particular as her head tilted to look at you as if she were trying to tell you about how amazing Loki’s hands were at scratching her.

“Then I suppose I could tag along. Ophelia looks like she’ll need some company,” Loki teased smoothly. You snorted as you stood from your seat, crossing your arms over your chest with a smile.

“Absolutely. We can’t let her grow tired of my company. Plus it looks like she already loves you,” you replied easily. Loki seemed to beam from the compliment. “I just have to get out of these clothes and then we can head out. Think you can handle her on your own for a few?”

“Certainly. Take your time.”

You couldn’t stop your smile that was working its way into a full grin. Loki’s smile was _that_ infectious. You told Ophelia to be good before you were rushing into your room and shutting the door like a normal person before leaning against it with a groan.

You were in a new situation.

Your new friend-slash-crush was to accompany you and your dog to the store. 

You really should have thought before speaking. This has to be weird. Awkward, even. Loki probably only said yes because there’s a dog involved. Hell, he probably wanted to drop the Coriolanus copy off here and get back to.. To whatever the hell there is to do at the Avenger’s HQ.

And what the fuck were you to wear to the grocery store with a fucking Norse God, anyway? A hot, Norse God who knew his way around Shakespeare. What. The. Fuck.

“Okay,” you muttered to yourself as you walked to your closet, your hands quick to rub at your tired eyes. “What looks good? There’s gotta be something in here.”

At a first glance, you saw the sun dresses you pulled from the back of your seemingly never ending closet before moving quickly to shove them out of sight.

After wearing a pencil skirt all day? No. No thanks.

“We want to be comfortable,” you said. Your head immediately turned to look at your collection of shirts that were hanging before a hand reached out for one of your graphic tees. It had Corgis on it, yes. But it was a favorite.

“No, maybe once we’re more acquainted.” The clanking of hangers were heard again as you shoved that shirt away. Your hand found another favorite. A plain tee that had a cute little pocket with some embroidery detail your friend had done. It was a little bee that happily beamed off of the beige fabric. You recall it fitting you right and how comfortable it felt when you were out and about in it.

And so, you grabbed the hanger it was on before chucking it unceremoniously onto your bed spread.

The bottoms were easier. You knew exactly what pair of jeans you wanted to wear the moment you pulled them from the wash just the other night. They were a simple blue denim, but they hugged the curve of your legs comfortably and set on your waist properly.

They also looked killer with your go-to sneakers.

After tossing the jeans onto the bed, you were set to strip, pull actual socks on and get dressed in street clothes. This always felt similar to your high school and college days - quick changes before scenes. Except in those scenes, you’d be getting in a period dress to be a heroine. Not go to the store with a God.

Damn, life is just crazy, isn’t it?

Once you were satisfied with your look, you made sure to grab your bag and your _phone—_ lord forbid your phone you forgot this morning. There were many notifications from your personal email and iMessage, as you suspected. Most texts were from your friends you hung out with last night, complimenting you on your wins. Other’s were from co-workers or family, which confused you. You told yourself you’d get to it later and swipe them away into a digital pile before your eyes settled on the two messages from an unknown number.

Loki.

Even in text messages he could be polite and irritatingly charming. All the way from the use of your name to using the phrase darling somehow as a closing. Damn him.

You swiped those messages off as well, deciding to swoon over them later when you’re not on a time crunch to shop with the very same man who sent you those messages.

Once again, life was fucking weird. 

“Alright!” You announced happily like you would if it was just you and Ophelia. “Store time. Oph, grab your harness!”

You heard Loki laugh—ugh, you’d never not swoon—as Ophelia was quick to tear from his lap, onto the floor to rush to her small weaved basket of toys and such; her harness was always placed on the top so she could easily grab it. It made getting ready for walks _worlds_ easier rather than you guessing what she had wanted; she could just grab it and trot over to you with her harness in her mouth.

You found yourself laughing with Loki as you stood on the opposite side of the coffee table that was situated in front of your TV.

“Does she always do this?” Loki questioned with light mirth. You nodded.

“Her breed is very versatile. They could be content being inside all the time, but also wouldn’t mind going on a walk. Perfect companion for someone who works a 9 to 5 at a newspaper outlet,” you explained flawlessly, starting to fall to your knees as Ophelia growled lightly, jingling starting to accompany her frantic movements.

“Newspaper outlet?”

“Uh, yeah.” You let your head tilt over to Loki as he rose from his seat before wiping down his jeans with all the ash grey fur. “I work at the Bulletin as one of their journalists, doing reviews of stuff and things.”

Loki let out an interested hum before you put your attention back on Ophelia, praising her for getting the light pink harness that you gently coaxed her to drop.

“Are those peaches?” Loki questioned suddenly.

You let out a chuckle before nodding, carefully buckling the harness onto Ophelia. “Yeah. Little peaches. She picked it out once she was big enough. I commend her for it, I don’t have as good taste as her.”

“Now that I beg to differ, darling.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to duck your head down to hide the blush that was taking your face over, gently tugging on Ophelia’s harness to be sure it was attached properly before standing back up straight to get to the kitchen for her leash. “If you’d like to carry her down the stairs you can, Loki!”

By the time you were back out in the living room, Loki had Ophelia in his arms. You smiled and waved the leash around to catch Ophelia’s attention before moving back to the door to grab your keys and shove them into your bag.

“Let’s get a move on.”

In a handful of minutes, you and Loki were back on the New York streets, Ophelia cradled happily in Loki’s arms as the two of you conversed about anything like Shakespeare to the simple question of how your days went.

Ophelia didn’t even beg once to be let down to walk. Even when Loki repositioned her occasionally at crosswalk stops.

You certainly had an inkling that she’s taken a liking to him just like you have.

The store wasn’t too far of a walk away, thankfully. So you were there within 30 to 40 minutes of New York pedestrian traffic. You were quick to grab a shopping cart before gesturing for Loki to place Ophelia in it.

“What?” He questioned gently, confused at your gesture. You looked between him and the cart as the leash hung around your neck almost as if it were a scarf.

“You can put her down in the cart,” you reasoned. “You don’t have to hold her the whole time.”

Loki looked down at your pup who was already looking back up at him before heaving a sigh, surrendering Ophelia to the metal contraption. 

“I’m more than sure you can pick her up again here in a couple of minutes. She gets clingy with people she likes.”

“Oh.” You could visibly see the pride on Loki’s face as the two of you walked into the establishment. You carefully took the lead, your mind already pulling up your mental shopping list.

It was a lot quieter as Loki followed you as you shopped. It was half expected, but with how chatty he had been on the way, you thought he would keep that streak up. But he just silently observed.

He finally spoke up when you were debating on what kind of oatmeal you wanted to try for the week.

“Do you have any other Shakespearian works that interest you, dear?”

The new nickname makes you sputter over your words as you tear your gaze from the oatmeal to look at Loki as he pets Ophelia as she guards some of your groceries.

“Other Shakespeare works?”

“Yes.”

“Uh,” you started slowly as you moved your gaze back to the wide selection of oats in front of you. “Much Ado About Nothing.”

“Much Ado? Is that one of his comedies?”

“Yeah,” you replied, grabbing at the cinnamon blueberry oatmeal you kept coming back to. “It’s a pretty good comedy I’d say. I haven’t read it yet, though. Only saw this recorded version I found on Youtube that had Catherine Tate as Beatrice and David Tennant as Benedick.”

“Who?”

You didn’t hesitate to whip around to look pointedly at him then. You weren’t aware of how long Loki has been on Earth, but surely he had known who Tate and Tennant were.

Right?

“Catherine Tate and David Tennant? The 10th Doctor and Donna Noble?”

Loki looked at you, confusion etched deeply into his features as his hands slowed on Ophelia’s body. He still didn't seem to have an answer. 

Clearly, he hadn’t been watching television.

You tossed a cup or two of the oatmeal into the cart gently, giving Ophelia a quick pat on her back for being a good girl before starting to push the cart out of the aisle. “Have you watched shows on this channel called BBC America?”

Loki followed you quietly, his hands slipping into his pockets as he thought for a moment.

“I have heard of that station, yes.”

“Well, there’s a show called Doctor Who. It’s been around for _forever_ ,” you started, clearing your throat halfway through speaking to try and figure out how to word this. “It's a show about an alien Time Lord who travels through space in a blue phone box.”

“You mean the show where there is a person waving around what they call a “sonic screwdriver” to fix all of their groups problems within the span of an hour?”

You glanced at Loki as he kept his eyes trained on you as you slowed walking to keep eye contact while talking to him.

“So you have seen it?”

“So it would seem. However, when I saw it, the Doctor had been a woman,” Loki explained slowly, starting to get confused again. You let out a soft laugh with a nod.

“Yeah, the 13th Doctor is a woman in this season - about time, I think. But the Doctor regenerates every so often. So, for example, in the previous seasons before 13, we obviously had 12 who was played by Peter Capaldi.”

You were completely stopped at this point in the aisle as Loki watched and listened to you intently.

“So that means there’s a total of 13 different actors that have played the same character over the course of how many years?”

“Uh,” you huffed, patting your bag for your phone before pulling it out and tapping at the screen to pull up Google. “Probably the early 60’s?”

“I’m surprised Midgard has taken a liking to it for that long,” Loki admitted, his brows furrowing. “Most people hate the concept.”

You found your answer, flipping your screen over. “1963. But apparently the show’s original run went for about 26 years, stopping in ‘89.”

Loki leaned forwards a bit to look at your screen, letting out a little hum of surprise with a nod. “Interesting.”

“Yeah! But, I’ve only seen episodes from the 10th Doctor and onwards. Hence why I mention David Tennant,” you said, quickly pulling your phone back when Loki was done looking to type in the search bar for a picture of David Tennant from his Doctor Who days. Loki seemed to make the connection with an agreeing groan, momentarily letting his attention go back to Ophelia as she sat up a bit to watch the two of you. Your fingers tapped quickly before you presented your phone to him again with a picture from an old promotion picture with Rose. 

Loki leaned forward again to look at the photo, squinting slightly as if he were shocked. He studied the picture for a while, and his face contorted occasionally with a new emotion.

"Do you know what else he has been in, perhaps?"

"No, not off the top of my head," you started with confusion. "Why?"

“Could I look something up, darling?” He asked suddenly, gesturing to your phone as you started to hand it over slowly thanks to your growing curiosity. 

“Go for it. I’m gonna run to get some milk, if you wanna follow?”

Loki smiled and thanked you kindly before nodding, already starting to follow as you walked out of the aisle finally, tapping away at your phone screen like you were moments ago.

He was silent behind you as you grabbed your milk of choice. You were going to turn around and ask if he found what he had looked for, but he only stayed silent as he read an article. So, you didn’t really bother him while he studied your screen again.

Thankfully, Loki had wordlessly followed you as he kept doing what you could only assume was research on your phone. You made little quips about Ophelia to see if you could capture his attention, only to be left with silence.

What was Loki trying to find?

“I’ve seen him before,” Loki finally determined as you led him to one of the checkout lines. “The Globe Theatre in London.”

“Really?” You questioned with a gasp. “I never knew he did anything _that_ high-scale.”

“No, not like that,” Loki explained with a laugh as he continued looking at something on your phone. “I had seen him with... Someone. The man he was with had a name started with an A, if my memory serves me right. However, the other man was called Crowley.”

You took a moment to recall what Loki was talking about, tilting your head as you got in one of the checkout lines. 

“Are you talking about Good Omens? On Amazon Prime?”

Loki hesitated then. You assumed he didn't really have a clue what that was due to the amount of time it took to get an actual answer. “Yes and no.”

You opened your mouth to say something, only to find nothing flying out in response. Was.. Was Good Omens actually _factual_? Your brain was starting to get even more confused, painfully so. You really wanted to say something in response, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to process it. Let alone in a grocery store.

“We’re talking about this on the way home. Can you help me get this sorted out?”

Loki was quick to agree as he handed you your phone before slipping past you, seeming a little freaked out himself.

Checking out was faster than it usually was. Loki did most, if not all of the work. You told him he didn’t have to, but he continually insisted. He called you most of the endearing names you’ve heard him say to you and it made you flustered enough to let it happen.

After paying, you had five bags to carry. Usually six was your limit when you didn’t have your backpack on you, so you were pretty proud to keep the shopping light this time around, even if you knew you’d have to come back tomorrow to get whatever you missed while Loki distracted you.

Loki carried most of the bags effortlessly. You only had one in your hand while the other was holding the handle of Ophelia’s leash as she trotted ahead of you happily.

“So.. Crowley?”

Loki took in a slow, deep breath before nodding. “Yes.”

“Like... Ginger hair, yellow snake eyes, and demonic Crowley.

Loki huffed out a laugh then as you came to a stop at a crosswalk.

“Yes, darling. Exactly that.”

“How the _hell_ is that possible?”

“Well, I was given access to the Bifrost when I was younger, and found myself in London for a meeting on my father's behalf,” Loki explained casually as if this wasn’t absolutely blowing your mind. “I ran into many prudes and snobs alike before running into him watching a rehearsal of Shakespeare with his... Partner, I could only assume.”

You scrunched your face up in confusion, looking up at him.

“I thought you hadn’t read or seen much of Shakespeare?”

“I have not. I came to The Globe for a meeting with some of the palace’s noblemen who were sent for a quest here on Midgard. I wasn’t one to deviate from my duties back then. He was leaving as I was entering.”

“So, you’ve met Crowley _and_ met Shakespeare?”

You found Loki laughing again as he shook his head, leading you and Ophelia as the crosswalk light changed. “No, dear. You misunderstand—I’ve met Crowley. Shakespeare however, I have not. I’ve merely had his play as background noise during a meeting. I had also heard of the man over the course of that visit, but he wasn’t anything spectacular then, so he had not grasped my attention until I had properly read some of his writing. If he were the man people assumed him to be.”

You clicked your tongue as you kept up with his pace, nodding slowly to process what he was saying. It was then you decided to make a note to try and watch Good Omens with Loki, if he wished to keep talking with you. And Doctor Who—

“Wait,” you started suddenly after your mind made some connections which got Loki to look back at you. “The man people _assumed_ him to be?”

Loki chuckled at your sudden backtrack, still leading you and Ophelia through the sidewalks.

“Allow me to explain over dinner?”

“Please do,” you replied quickly. “I’m deathly curious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to reread this too much before I scrapped it all again. I'm far too proud to have written this chapter (barely) under a month, alright? 
> 
> And, legally I had to mention Much Ado with Tate and Tennant and then follow it up with verifying that yes, Good Omens is actually factual. Yes, the Multiverse is vast, this was fun to write. Sue me.


End file.
